Paper folding machines are known that provide for C-folds, Z-folds and half-folds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,094, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses the processing of paper sheets to provide different types of folds. In the Z-fold format, a paper sheet is folded twice to form three sections with the ends of the sheet along opposite sides of the center section. In a C-fold format, the sheet is folded twice with its ends inward and overlapping each other to form three sections. In a half-fold format with a paper sheet is folded once to form two sections. The sheets can also be folded with or without inserts inserted therein.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B a prior-art folding apparatus 12 is shown set up to form a paper sheet with a Z-fold. The folding apparatus 12 has a supply device 42, a folding device 44 and an output device 46. The supply device 42 accepts a paper sheet 28 from a conveyor system with the document 18 in flat condition with an insert 26 thereon. The trailing edges of the document 18 and insert 26 are aligned to form a trailing edge 48 of the paper sheet 28 spaced from a leading edge 50 thereof. The supply device 42 includes a supply guide 52 with a supply conveyor 54 thereabove. The supply conveyor 54 has two pusher devices 56 thereon moving in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1A. One of the pusher devices 56 engages the trailing edge 48 of the paper sheet 28 to move the paper sheet 28 into a nip 58 formed by cooperating upper and lower rollers 60, 62 of the folding device 44 with the trailing edge of the document 18 and insert aligned as indicated by position 5a in FIG. 1B. The upper roller 60 continually rotates clockwise while the lower roller 62 continually rotates counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1A, to accept the paper sheet 28 from the supply device 42.
Along the path of the paper sheet 28 through the folding apparatus 12, the folding device 44 has first, second and third stations 64, 66, 68, respectively. Various operations can be performed at these stations, depending upon how the folding device 44 is arranged, to fold the paper sheet 28 in one of the Z-fold, C-fold or half-fold formats.
In FIG. 1A, the folding device 44 has been set up to perform a Z-fold on the paper sheet 28. To perform a Z-fold on the paper sheet 28, the first station 64 is set up with a diverting device 70 and a buckle plate 72. The diverting device 70 is for diverting the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28 as the paper sheet 28 moves in a first path (see position 5a) and changing a direction of movement of the leading edge 50 to a second path (see position 5b) into the buckle plate 72. The diverting device 70 is moveable between an operative position (shown in solid line in FIG. 1A) in the first path of the paper sheet 28 as the leading edge 50 thereof exits from the conveyor system and an inoperative position (shown in phantom line in FIG. 1A) spaced from the first path of the paper sheet 28.
The buckle plate 72 has an adjustable stop 74 positionable by the user depending upon the size of the paper sheet 28. After the paper sheet 28 enters the buckle plate 72, the diverting device 70 moves to its inoperative position shown in phantom line in FIG. 1A. This movement is accomplished pneumatically and is controlled by a computer processing unit which is signaled by an appropriately located sensor (not shown) to detect the passage of the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28. With the diverting device 70 in its inoperative position, the leading edge 50 will engage the adjustable stop 74 to stop further movement of the paper sheet 28 in the second path. However, the cooperating rollers 60, 62 continue to drive the paper sheet 28 causing an intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the leading and trailing edges 50, 48 thereof to engage a nip 76 formed by cooperating upper and lower rollers 78,80. The upper roller 78 continually rotates clockwise while the lower roller 80 continually rotates counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1A, to accept the paper sheet 28 and create a first folded edge 82 therein as shown at position 5c as the paper sheet 28 is drawn through the nip 76 in a third path.
At the second station 66, a buckle plate 84 has been set up to accept the paper sheet 28 coming from the cooperating rollers 78,80 in the third path. The buckle plate 84 has an adjustable stop 86 in the third path for stopping movement of the folded edge 82 of the paper sheet 28 along the third path as shown in position 5d. After the folded edge 82 of the paper sheet 28 is stopped, the cooperating rollers 78,80 drive the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between a nip 88 formed between the lower roller 80 and a roller 90 (position 5e). The roller 90 is continually driven in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1A. The rollers 80, 90 draw the paper sheet 28 through the nip 88 in a fourth path to create a folded edge 92 at the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the folded edge 82 and the trailing edge 48 thereof (position 5e).
As the paper sheet 28 enters the third station 68, a first bypass device 91 located in the fourth path after the nip 88 deflects the paper sheet 28 into a nip 94 formed between the roller 90 and a roller 96. The roller 96 is continually driven in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1A. The rollers 90,96 draw the paper sheet 28 through the nip 94 sending the paper sheet 28 into the output device 46. The output device 46 includes an output guide 98 and an output conveyor 100 designed to deliver the paper sheet 28 to the enveloper as shown by position 5f. Thus, a Z-folded paper sheet is formed.
In FIGS. 2A and 2B the folding apparatus 12 is arranged to provide C-folding. It should be noted that a second bypass device 102 has been mounted at the second station 66 while a buckle plate 104 has been mounted in the third station 68. The buckle plate 104 has an adjustable stop 106 positionable by the user depending upon the size of the paper sheet 28. After the paper sheet 28 enters the folding apparatus 12, the diverting device 70 diverts the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28 as the paper sheet 28 moves in a first path (see position 6a) and changes a direction of movement of the leading edge 50 to a second path (see position 6b) into the buckle plate 72. The diverting device 70 moves from its operative position (shown in solid line in FIG. 2A) in the first path of the paper sheet 28 as the leading edge 50 thereof exits from the conveyor system, to its inoperative position (shown in phantom line in FIG. 2A) spaced from the first path of the paper sheet 28. With the diverting device 70 in its inoperative position, the leading edge 50 will engage the adjustable stop 74 to stop further movement of the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28 in the second path. The cooperating rollers 60, 62 continue to drive the paper sheet 28 causing an intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the leading and trailing edges 50, 48 thereof to engage the nip 76 formed by cooperating upper and lower rollers 78, 80 to create a first folded edge 82 therein as the paper sheet 28 is drawn through the nip 76 in a third path.
At the second station 66, the second bypass device 102 has been set up to accept the paper sheet 28 coming from the cooperating rollers 78, 80 in the third path. The second bypass device 102 located in the third path after the nip 76 deflects the paper sheet 28 into the nip 88 formed between the rollers 80, 90 (position 6c).
At the third station 68, the paper sheet 28 enters the buckle plate 104 traveling in a fourth path (position 6d). When the folded edge 82 of the paper sheet 28 engages the adjustable stop 106, further movement thereof in the fourth path is stopped. However, the cooperating rollers 90,96 drive the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the nip 94, the rollers 90,96 drawing the paper sheet 28 through the nip 94 in a fifth path to create a folded edge 108 at the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the folded edge 82 and the trailing edge 48 thereof. The paper sheet 28 is delivered into the output device 46. Thus, a C-folded paper sheet is formed.
In FIGS. 3A and 3B the folding apparatus 12 is arranged to provide half-folding with a thru feed. It should be noted that the second bypass device 102 has been mounted at the second station 66 while the first bypass device 91 has been mounted in the third station 68. After the paper sheet 28 enters the folding apparatus 12, the diverting device 70 diverts the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28 as the paper sheet 28 moves in a first path (see position 7a) and changes a direction of movement of the leading edge 50 to a second path (see position 7b) into the buckle plate 72. The diverting device 70 moves from its operative position (shown in solid line in FIG. 3A) in the first path of the paper sheet 28 as the leading edge 50 thereof exits from the conveying station to its inoperative position (shown in phantom line in FIG. 3A) spaced from the first path of the paper sheet 28. With the diverting device 70 in its inoperative position, the leading edge 50 will engage the adjustable stop 74 to stop further movement of the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28 in the second path. The cooperating rollers 60, 62 continue to drive the paper sheet 28 causing the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the leading and trailing edges 50, 48 thereof to engage the nip 76 formed by cooperating upper and lower rollers 78,80 to create a folded edge 110 therein as the paper sheet 28 is drawn through the nip 76 in a third path.
At the second station 66, the output conveyor 100 has been set up to accept the paper sheet 28 coming from the cooperating rollers 78, 80 in the third path. The second bypass device 102 located in the third path after the nip 76 deflects the paper sheet 28 into a fourth path between the nip 88 formed by the rollers 80,90 (position 7c).
As the paper sheet 28 enters the third station 68, the first bypass device 91 located in the fourth path after the nip 88 deflects the paper sheet 28 into the nip 94 formed between the roller 90 and a roller 96 (position 7e). The rollers 90,96 draw the paper sheet 28 through the nip 94 sending the paper sheet 28 into the output device 46. Thus, a half-folded paper sheet is formed.
In FIGS. 4A and 4B the folding apparatus 12 is arranged to provide half-folding with a downward feed direction. This format of folding cannot be accomplished with an insert forming part of the paper sheet 28, i.e., the paper sheet 28 is insertless. It should be noted that the buckle plate 84 has been mounted at the second station 66 while the bypass device 91 has been mounted in the third station 68. Also, the diverting device 70 and buckle plate 72 have been removed. Alternatively, the diverting device 70 can merely be placed in its inoperative position. After the paper sheet 28 enters the folding apparatus 12, the cooperating rollers 60,62 move the paper sheet 28 in a first path (see position 8A) to engage the nip 76 formed by cooperating upper and lower rollers 78,80.
As the paper sheet 28 is drawn through the nip 76, the buckle plate 84 at the second station 66 accepts the paper sheet 28 coming from the cooperating rollers 78, 80. The adjustable stop 86 stops the movement of the leading edge 50 of the paper sheet 28 as shown in position 8c. After the paper sheet 28 is stopped, the cooperating rollers 78, 80 drive the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the nip 88 formed between the rollers 80, 90. The rollers 80, 90 draw the paper sheet 28 through the nip 88 to create a folded edge 112 at the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28.
As the paper sheet 28 enters the third station 68, the first bypass device 91 located after the nip 88 deflects the paper sheet 28 into the nip 94 formed between the rollers 90,96 (position 8d). The rollers 90,96 drawing the paper sheet 28 through the nip 94 sending the paper sheet 28 into the output device 46. Thus, a half-folded paper sheet is formed.
In FIGS. 5A and 5B the folding apparatus 12 is arranged to provide half-folding with an upward feed direction. This format of folding cannot be accomplished with an insert forming part of the paper sheet 28, i.e., the paper sheet 28 is insertless. It should be noted that the second bypass device 102 has been mounted at the second station 66 while the buckle plate 104 has been mounted in the third station 68. Also, the diverting device 70 and buckle plate 72 have been removed. Alternatively, the diverting device 70 can merely be placed in its inoperative position. After the paper sheet 28 enters the folding apparatus 12, the cooperating rollers 60,62 move the paper sheet 28 in a first path (see position 9a) to engage the nip 76 formed by cooperating upper and lower rollers 78,80.
As the paper sheet 28 is drawn through the nip 76, the bypass device 102 at the second station 66 located after the nip 76 deflects the paper sheet 28 into the nip 88 formed between the rollers 80,90 (position 9b). At the third station 68, the paper sheet 28 enters the buckle plate 104 (position 9c). When the paper sheet 28 engages the adjustable stop 106, further movement of the leading edge 50 is stopped. However, the cooperating rollers 90,96 drive the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28 between the nip 94. The rollers 90,96 drawing the paper sheet 28 through the nip 94 to create a folded edge 114 at the intermediate portion of the paper sheet 28. The paper sheet 28 is delivered into the output device 46. Thus, a half-folded paper sheet is formed.
Such known folding machines as discussed above require complicated and expensive electronic controls and sensors in order to provide for the proper processing of the paper sheets. As well, such known folding machines have output trays or stacking plates where folded paper sheets are discharged from the folding machine. When hundreds of sheets are discharged each minute, such folded sheets can become disorganized, unorderly and fall on the floor. Thus, a means of maintaining the folded sheets being discharged in an orderly and shingled stack is desired. As well, when the folded discharged sheets have different sizes it is even more difficult to keep them orderly.
Therefore, there is desired a paper folding machine that provides for all of the above described folding functions and a means of maintaining the folded discharged sheets of different sizes, but, provides for an inexpensive, uncomplicated processing mechanism that is inexpensive and simple to manufacture, assemble and operate, while allowing for easy access to the internal parts of the folding machine when cleaning or repairs are necessary. There is also desired automatic mechanical means for processing different sizes and types of paper sheets.